Device for Testing Material and Measuring Thickness on a Test Object Having at Least Electrically Conducting and Ferromagnetic Material Parts

ABSTRACT

A device is disclosed for material testing on a test object having at least electrically conducting and ferromagnetic material parts, the test object being provided with at least one technical surface, with at least one electromagnetic ultrasonic transducer array (EMUS) which is provided with a permanent magnet array or an electromagnet array and at least one eddy current coil arrangement. The at least one eddy current coil arrangement has at least one electrical strip conductor arrangement which is disposed at or parallel to a surface area of a rolling member which can be rolled on the technical surface of the test object, with the surface area rolling along with the rolling member during rolling.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device for testing material on a test object having at least electrically conducting and ferromagnetic material parts, the test object having at least one technical surface with at least one electromagnetic ultrasonic transducer array (EMUS) provided with a permanent magnetic or a electromagnet array and at least one eddy current coil.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Electromagnetic ultrasonic transducers are used in a known manner for the purpose of non-destructive material testing and measurement of test objects comprising electrically conducting materials which moreover possess ferromagnetic properties.

Basically electromagnetic ultrasonic transducers can be differentiated into two types: on the one hand, those with which produce so-called horizontally polarized shear waves which are able to propagate inside the test object predominantly parallel to the coupling-in surface; and on the other hand, ultrasonic transducers for generating in the test object so-called freely propagating ultrasonic waves preferably propagating inside the test object perpendicular to the coupling-in surface. In both instances, excitation of ultrasonic waves inside a test object results from the occurrence of magnetostriction and Lorenz forces inside the test object material, which can be generated by the presence of a temporally largely constant magnetic field overlapping with an electromagnetic alternating field generated by an electromagnetic alternating current.

A typical setup for exciting ultrasonic waves according to the so-called EMUS principle is shown in FIGS. 5 a and b. Common EMUS transducers 3 comprise a permanent magnet 1 and an eddy current coil 2, which are designed as one unit for joint handling. Usually the eddy current coil 2 is designed as a rectangular flat coil or a spiral flat coil and is attached to a magnetic pole side of the permanent magnet 1 in such a manner that a permanent magnetic field passes vertically through the coil 2. If the aforementioned EMUS transducer 3 is placed on an electrically conducting ferromagnetic test object 4, the permanent magnetic field overlaps inside the test object with an eddy current field generated by the eddy current coil, on the one hand, generating magnetostrictive effects due to the overlapping of the magnetic field components of the eddy current field with the permanent magnetic field entering vertically through the surface of the test object and, on the other hand generating the Lorenz forces due to the eddy currents induced in the test object, which then generate pressure waves occurring normally in relation to the surface of the test object as well as radially polarized shear waves capable of propagating in the form of ultrasonic waves inside the test object. Both types of ultrasonic waves, that is the ultrasonic waves propagating normally in relation to the surface of the test object and ultrasonic waves propagating in longitudinal direction to the surface of the test object due to radially polarized shear waves are suited according to the state of the art for testing faults, for example detecting cracks inside the test object, as well as for measuring the thickness of the wall of the test object.

Since in use eddy current coils are very sensitive to outside mechanical influences, such type coils must principally be protected against mechanical wear, which is difficult in particular due to the fact that in ferromagnetic test objects the eddy current coil located between the permanent magnet and the test object is pressed onto the surface of the test object by the magnetic forces of attraction and is therefore subject to considerable fretting.

nondestructive testing of weaknesses due to rusting of the pipe walls. A pig element described in detail in the printed publication is provided with electromagnets, which are distributed uniformly around the circumference, each comprising two measuring heads which are axially aligned to each other, a yoke connecting the measuring heads and a magnetizing coil on the measuring heads, with the field of each electromagnet running parallel to the center axis of the pipe. For ultrasonic measurement, an eddy current coil, to which are applied strong and very rapidly rising current pulses, is disposed directly at least on one of the poles, respectively on one of the measuring heads. The pipes of pipelines are provided with circumferential seams at the adjoining parts of two adjacent pipe pieces. When the above briefly described test pig runs over the seams during continuous inspection, the circumferential seams subject the electromagnetic transducer to impacts which, moreover, are markedly intensified by the magnetic forces prevailing between the electromagnets and the wall of the pipes. The previously described fretting and the additional impacts to the electromagnetic ultrasonic transducer, in particular to the eddy current coil, lead to a short lifetime of the EMUS transducer, which needs to be addressed.

Although fretting can be reduced by decreasing the magnetic forces of attraction prevailing between the EMUS transducer and the to-be-inspected test object, for example by decreasing the magnetic field induction, this measure would also immediately lead to distinctly diminishing the EMUS transducer's efficiency, that is force density induced to generate ultrasound inside the test object reduces in the same measure, due to which the detection sensitivity in receiving scattered or reflected ultrasonic waves diminishes to the same extent.

Japanese Patent 111 33 003 describes a device for inspecting material using ultrasound which is suited in particular for inspecting material of pipes. According to claim 4 of this document, the device comprises single permanent magnets which are arranged in such a manner that they form as ring segments a ring with an outer and an inner circumferential edge, with the adjacent permanent magnets having different magnetic poles at the outer, respectively inner circumferential edge. Disposed in several windings on the outer circumferential edge of this ring is an electrical strip conductor of at least one eddy current coil. The device is introduced in operation into a to-be-inspected pipe in such a manner that the outer circumferential edge with the applied strip conductors slides along the inner wall of the to-be-inspected pipe, leading to corresponding fretting on the strip conductors.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,034 describes a device for testing the material of hot materials, such as metals and ceramic, using ultrasound. An embodiment of the described device is distinguished by provision of an agent made of zircon which is in contact with the to-be-examined hot material, furthermore by provision of a liquid coupling medium (borax) which is in contact with the to-be-examined hot material and the zircon agent, and by provision of an ultrasonic transmitter which couples in ultrasonic waves through the zircon agent and the coupling medium into the to-be-examined hot material, respectively receives ultrasonic waves from the hot material through the coupling medium and the zircon agent. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,034, the zircon agent is designed as a ring with an outer and an inner circumferential edge. In operation, the outer circumferential edge of the ring is rolled over the to-be-examined hot material. A lever attached to the rotational axis of the zircon ring holds the ultrasound transmitter constantly in the shown downward perpendicular position. In this manner the ultrasound transmitter including the eddy current coil attached to it is pressed against the inner circumferential edge of the ring, leading once again to fretting of the ultrasound transmitter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a device for material testing of a test object having at least electrically conducting and ferromagnetic material parts based on electromagnetic ultrasonic excitation and using an electromagnetic ultrasonic transducer array (EMUS) in such a manner that it is ensured that the eddy current coils required for generating eddy currents are not subject to any or minimum fretting. Furthermore, it should be possible to conduct material testing on the test object continuously.

Contrary to the usual electromagnetic ultrasonic transducer arrays which are provided with a permanent magnet array or an electromagnet array and at least one eddy current coil and in which the eddy current coil is moved in a sliding manner in order to inspect the material at the surface of a test object and therefore are subject to slip friction wear, the electromagnetic ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention provides a new eddy current coil design which is combined with a rolling member which is rolled over the surface of a test object. The electromagnetic ultrasonic transducer, short EMUS transducer, according to the present invention is subject to less wear compared to standard versions, because the rolling friction forces occurring in the EMUS transducer according to the present invention are substantially less than the slip friction forces, increasing in this manner the lifetime of the EMUS transducer according to the present invention considerably.

If a prior art EMUS transducer is moved over the uneven surface of a test object in a slipping process, the prior art eddy current coil is subject to increased wear due to the unevenness of the surface of the test object, for example due to bulging at the welding seams. With the EMUS transducer according to the present invention, such type surface unevenness is simply rolled over without lasting impairment of the eddy current coil.

Another advantage of the EMUS transducer according to the present invention is the ability to conduct material inspection continuously as will be described in detail in the following.

Thus a device for testing material on a test object which comprises at least electrically conducting and ferromagnetic material parts and which possesses at least one technical surface having an electromagnetic ultrasonic transducer array provided with a permanent magnet array or an electromagnet array and at least one eddy current coil arrangement according to the solution is distinguished by at least one eddy current coil having at least one electrical strip conductor arrangement which is disposed at or parallel to a surface area of a rolling member which is disposed on the technical surface of the test object and can be rolled over it.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the rolling member, which preferably is designed as a disk, reel, wheel or ball, is combined with the permanent magnet array or electromagnet array in such a manner that the rolling member, the permanent magnet array or electromagnet array as well as the eddy current coil arrangement attached on the rolling member or connected to the rolling member is moved as a uniformly handled unit in relation to the test object.

Another preferred embodiment provides for separate handling of the permanent magnet array or electromagnet array and the combination of rolling member and eddy current coil. Further details to the preferred embodiments are described in the following with reference to the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is made more apparent in the following by way of example using preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings without the intention of limiting the scope or spirit of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic two-side representation of an EMUS transducer having a permanent magnet and an eddy current coil in the form of elliptically shaped strip conductor loops which is attached to the circumferential edge of a rolling member;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic two-side representation of an EMUS transducer having a permanent magnet and an eddy current coil designed in the form of strip conductor windings at the circumferential edge of a rolling member;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic two-sided representation of an EMUS transducer having a permanent magnet and two ferromagnetic return paths;

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a two-side view of an EMUS transducer having two permanent magnets and an eddy current coil arrangement;

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a two-side representation of an EMUS transducer having an electromagnet array and separate eddy current coil and

FIGS. 8 and b show a state-of-the-art EMUS transducer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The left representation in FIG. 1 shows a front view, the right representation shows a lateral view, of the EMUS transducer array according to the present invention, which due to its principle of construction is also referred to as an EMUS wheel. The EMUS transducer array is provided with a rolling member 5 which in the preferred embodiment is designed to be ring-like or reel-like and thus hollow inside and has an outer circumferential edge 51. The rolling member 5 has a center axis of rotation A about which the rolling member 5 rolls relative to the technical surface 6 of the test object 4. An eddy current coil 2 is wound along the circumferential edge 51 of the rolling member 5 in the shown manner according to FIG. 1, left representation. The eddy current coil 2 comprises a through-going electrical conductor which is shaped as elliptical strip conductor loops which are disposed offset to each other along the circumferential edge 51 of the rolling member 5 in such a manner that the entire circumferential edge 51 of rolling member 5 is covered by the arrangement of loops. It is obvious that when the current is applied to this strip conductors arrangement, two immediately adjacent strip conductor sections are flowed through in opposite directions. The detail below the front view of the rolling member in FIG. 1 shows an alternative strip conductor arrangement 2′ which is also disposed along the circumferential edge 51 of the rolling member. The alternative strip conductor arrangement 2′ is wound in such a manner that two strip conductor sections running immediately adjacent to each other are extend in the same direction. Such a type strip conductor arrangement is suited for effectively coupling in ultrasonic waves into the test object 4.

The EMUS transducer shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a permanent magnet 7 to introduce a temporally constant magnetic field into the test object. The permanent magnet 7 is attached to the axis of rotation A in such an asymmetrical manner that a magnetic pole, preferably the magnetic north pole N is disposed maximally close to the circumferential edge 51 of the rolling member 5. When the rolling member rolls along the technical surface 6 of the object 4, the magnetic north pole N of the permanent magnet 7 is drawn to the ferromagnetic test object 4 and, due to its rotational mobility, about the axis of rotation A always stays facing the test object 4, i.e. the magnetic north pole is always directed downward. Thus the permanent magnet 7 generates a magnetic field whose magnetic field lines are always oriented perpendicular to the technical surface 6 of the test object 4.

If the eddy current coil arrangement 2 is fed with pulsed current, eddy currents are induced in the test object which interact with the magnetic flow oriented normally to the technical surface 6. Ultrasonic waves with circular polarization are generated in test object 4 by developing Lorenz forces. The ultrasonic waves propagate essentially perpendicular to the technical surface 6 inside the test object 4.

The eddy current arrangement 2 acts in an as such known manner also as a reception coil for the ultrasonic waves reflected back inside the test object 4.

As an alternative to the strip conductor arrangement of the eddy current arrangement 2 depicted in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 shows a variant of the EMUS transducer in which the eddy current coil 2 has electric windings which are each disposed around the circumferential edge 51 of the rolling member 5. The exact arrangement and design of the strip conductor arrangement of the eddy current coil 2 is shown in FIG. 2, left representation. Due to the alternative strip conductor arrangement according to the preferred embodiment in FIG. 2, ultrasonic waves with linear polarization are generated in the test object 4. The ultrasonic waves however are due to the same excitation principle by Lorenz forces occurring as in the preferred embodiment according to FIG. 1.

In both preceding embodiments, the rolling member 5 is preferably not made of a metallic material. The rolling member 5 can, of course, also be made of a ferromagnetic and electrically conductive material. In this case, however, care must be taken that the strip conductor arrangement of the eddy current coil 2 is electrically insulated against the rolling member 5. It is also expedient, for further reduction of the roll friction occurring between the rolling member 5 and the technical surface, to provide a protective coat (not depicted) to protect the eddy current coil arrangement 2.

In contrast to the preceding preferred embodiments in which a temporally constant magnetic field which is oriented perpendicular to the technical surface 6 of the test object 4 is coupled into the test object 4, the preferred embodiment of an EMUS transducer designed according to the invention depicted in FIG. 3 provides that a magnetic field is coupled in, which is oriented tangentially to the technical surface 6 of test object 4. FIG. 3 shows again in the left representation, the front view and in the right representation, the lateral view of such a EMUS type transducer. In the depicted preferred embodiment, the strip conductor arrangement of the eddy current coil 2 is wound around the surface of a cylindrical or rod-shaped permanent magnet 7. Attached at the opposite magnetic poles N,S of the permanent magnet 7 are two disk-like designed rolling members 5 composed of ferromagnetic material, preferably ferrosteel, and project over the permanent magnet 7 including the eddy current arrangement 2 radially to the axis of rotation A. The disk-like rolling members 5 each act as a yoke which conducts the magnetic field lines in such a manner that the magnetic circuit over the ferromagnetic rolling member 5 and the test object 4 are closed. Due to the magnetic return path, a magnetic field is coupled in which runs tangentially to the technical surface 6 inside test object 4. The eddy currents excited by the eddy current coil 2 generate inside the test object 4 a secondary alternating magnetic field which overlaps with the constant magnetic field of the permanent magnet array. The ultrasonic waves are excited by the developing magnetostrictive effect and, like in the case of the preferred embodiment according to FIG. 2, have a linear polarization. The disk-like designed rolling members 5 which enclose the permanent magnet 7 on both sides, thus have two functions. On the one hand they act as a magnetic yoke and on the other hand they permit the ultrasonic transducer to roll over the technical surface 6 of the test object 4, with the eddy current coil arrangement always assuming a constant distance from the technical surface 6, due to which the strip conductor arrangement is subject to no mechanical wear from roll friction.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show two further preferred embodiments of an EMUS transducer designed according to the invention, each provided with two permanent magnets 7 and 7′ and an eddy current coil 2 and only differing in the design of the eddy current coil 2. The permanent magnets 7 and 7′ are attached with their same named magnetic north poles to the ferromagnetic rolling member 5, which preferably is designed like a ring or a wheel. Due to the opposite magnetic north poles, a reciprocal displacement of the magnetic field lines occurs in such a manner that they couple in via the ferromagnetic ring unit of the rolling member 5 perpendicular to the technical surface 6 of the test object 4. The ferromagnetic rolling member 5 acts simultaneously as a concentrator of the magnetic field by means of which the magnetic flow at the contact points between the rolling member 5 and the technical surface 6 is coupled into the test object (4) in a concentrated manner. Moreover, the ultrasonic-wave excitation principle is the same as in the preferred embodiments in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In order to improve closure of the magnetic ring in the preferred embodiments shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it may be considered to provide a corresponding disk-like designed ferromagnetic end piece on the front magnetic south poles, which like the rolling member 5 come into contact with the technical surface of the test object 4.

In some material testing applications using permanent magnets can be obviated, for example material testing on sheet metals. Suited in this case are preferably so-called electromagnets. FIGS. 6 and 7 show preferred embodiments each with separate arrangement between the electromagnet array 7 and the eddy current coil arrangement 2. The yoke-like designed electromagnet array 7 has two magnetic poles N and S which each can be placed on the technical surface 6 of the test object 4 to feed a tangential magnetic field. Provided in the area of the tangential magnetic field is a rolling member 5 at whose circumferential edge an eddy current coil arrangement 2 is provided. In the example of the FIG. 6, the rolling member 5 is located on a top side of the test object facing away from the electromagnet array 7. In the example according to FIG. 7, both the electromagnet array 7 and the rolling member 5 are located on a common technical surface 6 of the test object 4. The excitation principle of the ultrasonic waves inside the test object 4 is identical to that according to the preferred embodiment in FIG. 3. The tangentially running magnetic field which is fed by the electromagnet 7 into the test object 4 interacts with the eddy currents, respectively the alternating magnetic field in such a manner that, due to the occurrence of magnetostrictive effects, linear polarized ultrasonic waves are generated. Of course, eddy current coils 2 designed as rolling members 5 can be provided in the area of the tangential magnetic field. As in the preferred embodiments shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, since no magnetic attraction forces act between the rolling member 5 and the technical surface 6 of the test object 4, wear of the EMUS transducer is in this case minimal.

Rolling the rolling member 5 along whose circumferential edge the eddy current coil is disposed uniformly allows conducting continuous inspection in contrast to the hitherto used locally discrete EMUS testing arrangements. The invented solution, also referred to as EMUS wheel, is fundamentally suited for several fields of application, i.a. for measuring the wall thickness and fault inspection of sheet metals, rails, pipes and pipelines as well as railroad wheels, oil containers or the outer walls of ships and other security containers. The EMUS transducer can also be combined with transport systems, for example so-called pig systems with which a long-distant pipeline and the like can be inspected.

LIST OF REFERENCES

-   1 permanent magnet -   2 eddy current coil -   3 EMUS transducer -   4 test object -   5 rolling member -   6 technical surface -   7 permanent magnet 

1-26. (canceled)
 27. A device for material testing of a test object having at least electrically conducting and ferromagnetic material parts, the test object being provided with at least one technical surface, with at least one electromagnetic ultrasonic transducer array which is provided with a permanent magnet array or an electromagnet array and at least one eddy current coil arrangement; and wherein the at least one eddy current coil has at least one electrical strip conductor which is disposed at or parallel to a surface area of a rolling member which can be rolled on the technical surface of the test object, with the surface area rolling along with the rolling member during rolling.
 28. The device according to claim 27, wherein: the permanent magnetic array or the electromagnetic array is integrated in the rolling member, and is moveable jointly with the rolling member relative to the technical surface so that a magnetic field coming from the permanent magnet array or electromagnet array penetrates at least into one area of the test object which is in contact with the rolling member when the rolling member rolls over the technical surface.
 29. The device according to claim 28, wherein: the rolling member is a disk or roll having a circumferential edge around or relative to the electrical strip conductor of the eddy current coil.
 30. The device according to claim 29, wherein: the strip conductor is at least one winding wound around the circumferential edge of an electric conductor to which alternating current can be applied.
 31. The device according to claim 30, wherein: the strip conductor has strip conductor windings formed of a continuous electric conductor and disposed side by side along the circumferential edge of the rolling member.
 32. The device according to claim 31, wherein: the strip conductor windings are loops formed and disposed along the circumferential edge of the rolling member so that in two directly adjacent conductor sections current flows therein in the same direction.
 33. The device according to claim 31, wherein: the strip conductor windings are loops formed and disposed along the circumferential edge of the rolling member so that in two directly adjacent conductor sections current flows therein in opposite directions.
 34. The device according to claim 29, wherein: the rolling member is a disk or roll with an axis of rotation about which the rolling member rotates when rolling on the technical surface of the test object; and the permanent magnet array or the electromagnet array is disposed asymmetrically and rotatable about the axis of rotation of the rolling member so that mass center of gravity lies outside the axis of rotation.
 35. The device according to claim 34, wherein: the permanent magnet is rotatably disposed inside the rolling member, which is hollow inside, so that a magnetic pole of the permanent magnet extends inside the rolling member adjacent the circumferential edge.
 36. The device according to one of the claim 29, wherein: the rolling member is a disk or roll with an axis of rotation about which the rolling member rotates when rolling on the technical surface of the test object; and the permanent magnet array or electromagnet array has two permanent magnets or electromagnets with same magnetic poles being positioned with fronts thereof opposite each other adjacent the rolling member.
 37. The device according to claim 36, wherein: wherein the two permanent magnets are provided with north magnetic poles disposed directly or indirectly opposite each other; the rolling member is disposed between the two north magnetic poles or at least partially surrounds the two north magnetic poles; and the rolling member has a larger radial extension oriented about the axis of rotation than the permanent magnets.
 38. The device according to claim 27, wherein: a cylindrical or rod-shaped permanent magnet is provided with a surface at least in areas of the at least one strip conductor of the eddy current coil; and at both magnetic poles of the permanent magnets a disk-like or roll-like element is attached, which together correspond to the rolling element, are penetrated by a common axis of rotation and have a larger radial extension relative to the axis of rotation than the permanent magnet disposed between the two roll-like elements including the strip conductor.
 39. The device according to claim 38, wherein: the strip conductor is at least one winding wound around the circumferential edge of an electric conductor to which alternating current can be applied.
 40. The device according to claim 38, wherein: the strip conductor arrangement has strip conductor loops formed from a continuous electric conductor and is disposed side by side in the circumferential direction relative to the surface of the permanent magnet.
 41. The device according to claim 40, wherein: the strip conductor loops are disposed along the surface of the permanent magnet so that in two directly adjacent conductor sections current flows in a same direction.
 42. The device according to claim 40, wherein: the strip conductor loops are disposed along a surface of the permanent magnet so that current flows through two directly adjacent conductor sections in opposite directions.
 43. The device according to claim 27, wherein: the rolling member is composed of a ferromagnetic material.
 44. The device according to claim 27, wherein: the permanent magnet array or electromagnet array is a U-shaped yoke having two magnetic poles facing the at least one technical surface for coupling a magnetic field oriented parallel to the at least one technical surface inside the test object.
 45. The device according to claim 44, wherein: the rolling member is a disk or roll having a circumferential edge about which or relative to which the strip conductor arrangement of the eddy current coil is disposed.
 46. The device according to claim 45, wherein: the strip conductor arrangement is at least one winding wound around the circumferential edge.
 47. The device according to claim 45, wherein: the strip conductor is strip conductor loops comprising a continuous electric conductor and is disposed side by side along the circumferential edge of the rolling member.
 48. The device according to claim 47, wherein: the strip conductor loops are disposed along the circumferential edge of the rolling member so that through two directly adjacent conductor sections current flows in the same direction.
 49. The device according to claim 47, wherein: the strip conductor loops are disposed along the circumferential edge of the rolling member so that current flows in opposite directions in two directly adjacent conductor sections.
 50. A use of the device according to claim 27, comprising: performing continuous material testing and wall-thickness measurement on a test object by rolling the rolling member along the at least one technical surface of the test object.
 51. A use of the device according to claim 50, comprising: conducting the thickness measurement by means of a pulse-echo method in which the ultrasonic waves are transmitted in pulse form perpendicular to the at least one technical surface into the test object and are reflected at a opposite surface, with a duration measurement being conducted in which the emission moment and the reception moment of the ultrasonic waves are determined.
 52. A use of the device according to claim 27, wherein at least one of testing of material, fault inspection and/or thickness measurement on sheet metals, rails, pipes railroad wheels, oil containers, or the outside surface of objects is performed. 